Financial freedom
Stagnant water becomes bitter. A person who receives blessings from the Lord, but keeps everything for himself, becomes bitter as well. Eventually the blessings will stop, because the blessings cannot flow through. God hates a tight-fisted attitude because it is the opposite of His Own attitude and in contrary towards the character of God. So if we choose not to share the blessings that God gave us, the blessings will always stop.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Luke 6:37,38 (NIV)
One of the most important keys we always have to remember is that you receive a blessing to be a blessing to someone else. In other words, if we keep sharing the blessings that God is giving us, then He will continue to bless us. We receive the blessings because God loves us with His everlasting love. It’s His desire to bless you and to make you happy in every single way. But how do we respond to that love? Do we remember that Jesus told us that we need to love God above all things and our neighbors as ourselves? Or do we love ourselves more then we love God and our neighbors, by keeping all the blessings for ourselves? Sure this is a very unpopular message these days. Many people don’t want to hear about this, they just want to hear what they want to hear. They want to hear that God loves them, that God will bless them, that God will make them rich, that God gives them a huge ministry etc. O yes, how we love to hear all these things. But what about God’s conditions? What about His will? Didn’t Jesus told us that He came to do the will of the Father? Doesn’t the Bible tell us that we need to become like Jesus and do the will of the Father as well? Then why are most Christians ignoring His conditions? Why are most Christians neglecting their financial responsibilities?
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
2 Timothy 4:3,4
What is the truth in this case? The truth is that God hates a selfish attitude. What about you? Are you one of those who loves to follow their own desires above His requirements? Then how can you expect God to bless you? Then how can you even begin to think that God will trust you with His finances? Maybe these words will not make you feel comfortable, but I tell you what these words will do. If you start to live according to His will, according to His requirements, then God will bless you abundantly. What is God’s will for our finances? First let me start with something that Jesus told.
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-20
That sounds like a very clear message. Jesus told that the law of the prophets still applies to us today. Yes, His grace is above the law, and I will tell more about that later in this study. For now we need to realize that the requirements of the Lord are still valid for these days. The law shows us what we should and shouldn’t do. It shows us what sin is, so that we know where we need to repent from. God is telling is that we need to be holy, because He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). That means that our lives have to match His character. When it comes to our finances, God gave very specific instructions by the mouth of the prophet Malachi.
Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
Malachi 3:8-10 (NIV)
For many charismatic Christians, this is a very familiar part of the Bible. Still I encourage you to read further, because you will read something, later in this study, that will change your view on finances. Many other Christians, who are not very familiar with the charismatic ‘scene’, maybe read these verses for the first time. When God spoke these words, by the mouth of Malachi, He allowed something He never allowed before. He allowed and challenged everyone to test Him on this. As far as I have seen, this is the only place in the Bible where God tells us to test Him. Yet many charismatic Christians did this, while there were not coming any blessings. In a moment I will tell you why.
When it comes to our finances, there are two categories that we need to take care of. The first category is for the house of God, which means Churches and/or ministries. The second category, and just as important as the first one, is for our neighbors in need. Until this point, many leaders will still agree with me.
The first category: The house of God
It is true that Churches and ministries need finances in order to do their job. It is also true that many Christians assume that there are very little costs associated with these activities. Church buildings are very expensive. Travel costs are very expensive. Crusades are very expensive. Ministries that use radio or television, pay a huge amount of money for broadcasting rights and for all the material they need to make their broadcasts. That is all true. It is true that only a few Christians realize how important it is to share their money for the work of the Lord. But the way many leaders are getting money for their Churches and ministries is not Gods way.
When we look to the Churches and ministries of these days, we see one thing that always points out during services: the demand for money. In these days it is like this, the preachers that can beg the best are receiving the most donations. The preachers that can manipulate the best are receiving the most donations. The majority of today’s preachers are using intimidation, manipulation and control to get what they want/need. They use words to control your behavior. Let me give a few examples:
“If you do not donate to my ministry, then I have to stop and the work of the Lord will stop because you didn’t support the work of God”
“If you do not bring your tithing to the storeroom, which is this Church/ministry, you will be under Gods curse”
“Many people will go to hell, unless you support my ministry so I can preach them the gospel”
Those are just a few of many examples. What is it? It is pure witchcraft. Manipulation and intimidation are the sin of witchcraft and it is a tool of satan, not of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because the Holy Spirit convinces people, while satan will accuse you. These preachers will tell you that they trust God, but they ask your money at the same time. What a trust that is. You don’t need to trust God, if you can solve your financial problem by manipulating the congregation. That is not trust, it’s a work of the flesh, but also a fruit of witchcraft. You can recognize them by their fruits. If the fruit is witchcraft, then what is the source? It can be a spirit of witchcraft or a spirit that uses the tool of witchcraft as well. In The Netherlands it is almost always the spirit of Jezebel, a spirit who always will use witchcraft. Many leaders are being influenced by this spirit while they don’t see it.
When Joram saw Jehu he asked, "Have you come in peace, Jehu?" "How can there be peace," Jehu replied, "as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?"
2 Kings 9:22 (NIV)
Money has become an idol in many Churches and witchcraft is such a widely used tool, that we don’t even notice it anymore. But one thing is very sure: it is not God’s way. In fact it is a sin against God. One of the most heard things are preachers who claim that their Church or ministry is the storeroom where Malachi is talking about. I always knew that this is not true, but I never could find anything in the Bible to proof that. That was until the Holy Spirit showed His answer, while I was reading Matthew 6.
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Matthew 6:6
When we became a Christian, we received a new spirit from the Lord. As we all know, the Lord is Spirit and not natural. So if we have to deal with finances in a way that pleases God, then we need to deal with it in a spiritual way instead of in a natural way. When I saw these verses, I saw something I saw many times before. But then the Holy Spirit told me to look at the Greek words as well. When I started to read these words, I suddenly mentioned a very important detail that changed my view on finances forever. In Greek it doesn’t say that we have to go into our room. It is not talking about ‘our’ room at all. The word that is mentioned is the word “tamieion”, which means “storeroom”. And when I saw that, I suddenly understood it. Now let me give you my free translation of what I think it should say in Matthew 6:6.
And you, whenever you are going to pray, go and enter into the storeroom (a spiritual place that God prepared for you) and lock your door (as ‘let nothing distract you’). Pray to the Father, Who is your Father as well, the One Who is in the hidden. And your Father, Who is the One looking in the hidden, shall openly (publicly) give/pay you from the storeroom.
The reason why I translate this with give and/or pay, is because the Greek word ‘apodOsei’ is used here. That word means ‘shall give from’ or ‘shall pay from’, which is exactly the intention of Father God, to bless His people.
Now how can we apply this in our lives? Our money is not ours at all. Our possessions are not ours at all. Our own life is not even ours. Jesus purchased your life with His blood. He paid for it. He is now the owner of your life and of everything you own now or will ever own. That means that it is not up to you, or up to a preacher (pastor, prophet, apostle or whoever), to decide where you should give your money to. Your money shouldn’t go to the preacher who can beg or manipulate the best. The very first thing you need to do is to go to the storeroom. That storeroom is not a Church or a ministry, no matter what some preachers will tell you. Most of them speak for their own benefit anyway. The storeroom that Jesus was talking about is not a place in the natural world. It is a spiritual place. That is the place where we spent our time with Father God, because He is the Owner of the storeroom and the One Who provides. So what we should do is go to the storeroom and offer our money to Him. Wait a minute. How can we bring money from the natural world to a spiritual place? The answer is that you can’t do that. But what you can do is offer it to God and let Him decide where you should give your money to. That is the only way that is pleasing to God.
A lot of ‘ministries’ that are existing today, wouldn’t have existed when His children would have asked Him if they needed to offer their money to those ‘ministries’. Then why do they exist anyway? Because only a few are testing everything in the Spirit. Only a few take the time to ask God where He wants them to donate His money to. Indeed, His money because the money you have isn’t yours. By not asking God where to donate His money to, they robbed Him as is described in Malachi. Many people rather listen to the voices in the natural world, the voices of the preachers telling them that they need to donate His money to them. Let me try to explain something here with an example.
When I trust you with € 1.000.000,00 of my money, and when I transfer that amount to your bank account, then you can do everything with it. But you know the money is mine and that you are only a manager of my money. At some day a friend comes to your place and starts to share about his needs. He starts to tell you that a ‘real’ friend would help him and before you know it, he asks you to give my money to him, the money that is mine but where I trusted you with. What are you going to do then? Give it to your friend? Of course not. It is not up to you to decide, because the money isn’t yours. If you wouldn’t do this in the natural world, then why are you doing it with God’s money, the money that He trusted you with? If you never asked God where to donate His money to, and if you listened to those preachers who told you to donate His money to them, then you need to repent. In that case you robbed His money from Him and you are under a financial curse, just like God said by the mouth of Malachi.
Doing this according to God’s will and requirements is really very easy. The only thing you have to do is spent time with Him and worship Him. By offering thanksgiving you are entering His gates (Psalm 100), by offering praises you are walking through His courts (Psalm 100) and by worshiping Him you are at His throne (Revelation 4 & 5), in the storeroom, bringing glory to His name and offering yourself to Him (including your money). That is the moment where His anointing, His presence will surround you. In that atmosphere of worship, in His presence, the only voice that remains is the voice of your heavenly Father. At that moment, when you are in His presence, you can ask Him where to donate your money to and the amount you should give. Sometimes God will tell you to donate everything to your Church. Sometimes He will tell you to donate your money to several ministries. Sometimes He will tell you to donate 10% of your income, sometimes He asks you to give 50% or even more. Whatever He decides, remember it is His money, so it is up to Him where the money should go. That is something between you and God only. Some people will actually hear Him speak, others hear Him in their thoughts. But sometimes God also gives you a desire in your heart where you should donate His money to and how much. So don’t worry if you don’t hear Him speak, He can also give a desire in your heart. When you start to do these things, then the next part will come to pass: “Test me in this, says the LORD Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
But what should you do if you are a preacher/minister? Exactly the same. When His children are offering His money back to Him in the storeroom, then that’s the place where you need to go. That’s the place where you meet the Provider, Father God. That’s the place where you share your needs with Him. In the secret, not in the open.
Here’s a little parable. If I work for an employer, which I did in the past, I receive salary for the work I do, and everything I need, to do my job, is available. At the end of every month, my salary is transferred to my bank account, so I can live my life. But then, suddenly, I start to miss things that I need in order to do my job and my salary hasn’t arrived at the end of the month. What should I do next? I can start to complain at my colleagues, asking them to provide for my salary and the things I need to do my job. I can start to manipulate my colleagues, by telling them that I can’t continue with my work unless someone provides in my needs. Maybe there are some colleagues with sense of responsibility, who will actually provide. What should I have done? Complain at my colleagues? Manipulate them? No. I work for my employer, so when I need something to do my job, that’s where I should go to. My employer is the one responsible for my salary and my needs to do my job.
As a minister, you work for the Lord. He is your Employer. He is the One responsible for your salary and for every need you have regarding your ministry. When you need something, then go to the storeroom, go to your Daddy. Ask Him and Him alone. Let it be a case between you and God only and don’t ask or beg money from your brothers and sisters. They are not responsible for your need. The only responsibility they have is to listen to God’s voice and to do what He tells them to do. Your responsibility is exactly the same. Just ask Him what you need. If you let it only be a case between you and God, in the secret, then the next thing will come to pass: “and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly”. That can’t be to hard right? You taught the people to test Him, according to what Malachi said. Now why don’t you test Him? Try it this way and test Him. You will see that even if nobody will know about your needs, except God, that He will provide for you. That is what it means to really trust Him with everything. I know it can be very scary, but I can testify that He will do it and that He is faithful. He takes care of His Own. Why don’t you give it a try? Try to trust Him like you always taught others to do.
The second category: Our neighbors in need
Your tithing is meant for the work of God. Sometimes He will ask you to give His money to someone in need, to a private person instead of a ministry/Church. But even when you gave your tithing already, when you know that someone is need and when you are able to help your brother or sister, then that is what God expects from you as well. Of course you have to test everything in the Spirit and do nothing based upon your own insights. But if you see someone in need, someone that you can help, then ask Him if He allows you to. Involve Him in everything. Never deny people in need, they are the beloved children of God as well and God will hold you responsible if you could have helped them, but didn’t. Remember, He gives you His blessings so that you can be a blessing to those in need. He doesn’t ask you to give from what you don’t have, He asks you to share from what you do have. I collected a few Bible verses that speak about this subject. I’ll let those verses speak for itself:
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.
Deuteronomy 15:7 (NIV)
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:17,18 (NIV)
There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
Acts 4:34 (NIV)
'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
Matthew 25:45 (NIV)
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
James 2:14-24 (NIV)
How much more proof do you need? Love God above everything and love your neighbors as you love yourself. Do that in everything you do and with everything you have. Be blessed.
P.S. Those who think that this study was written to make people give money to Jaweh Ministries International, are wrong. We don’t want money from anyone unless the Lord told them to donate to us. Remember, satan will accuse you and make you feel guilty. The Holy Spirit will give you His peace and will only convince you. He will never accuse you. Test the spirits, test the fruits and you will know the source.
